I think it is finally time for me to kick myself off FLUXLIST. This is all prompted by the irony of the posts below. Owen Smith (a Fluxus art historian and artist) and Ken Friedman (Fluxus artist, theoretician, and general academic) have both declined in the past in their writings, activities, and emails (on and off this list) to definitively declare or promote (with specific examples) the fact that Fluxus has continued to grow, mutate, and flourish way past the original Maciunas-connected group. They will talk about the continuation of the work of the original Fluxus artists and the continuation of the spirit of Fluxus, etc, IN A POSITIVE AND ABSTRACT WAY but don't seem to have the inclination to actually declare or promote any new members or new real estate as being bona fide Fluxus. I'm talking about naming names and championing work. Although neither one has ever supported the Fluxus-died-with-Maciunas school of thought, they have also never extended the "she's a a fluxus artist" to anyone or any projects outside the original historical group. This is not difficult. Can you say ART GUYS? Or KLONDIKE--http://www.nutscape.com/klondike/? There are a lot more examples. So they have taken the weaselly (in my humble opinion) position that yes Fluxus, oh the spirit of Fluxus, could continue and does in some amorphous abstract way (but am not going to stick my neck out and really include any one or any new activity to be Fluxus...or I am going to be anal and withhold judgment). So now we learn that Owen and Ken have written an article about ongoing Fluxus INFLUENCE...sounds to me like just another way to try to keep attention on OLD Fluxus going...and to use Fluxlist (and some of the great and truly-Fluxus projects that have been done here) and others to do it. Oh, the irony.
One last time (maybe): I have always felt that the Fluxus sense/spirit was very open and inclusive and outward directed. When I first started learning about Fluxus it was just one big invitation to play. It was energizing. It still is. Almost everything and everyone having to do with Fluxus and its place in the Art World has been the opposite of that--e.g., Jon Hendricks, Eric Anderson, Ken Friedman's "Fluxus Chronology: Key Moments and Events (1960-1996)" in the Fluxus Reader. Fluxus in the art world eats itself instead of feeding others. The worst thing that ever happened to Fluxus was calling it Art. Allen Bukoff, PhD P.S. I sound like Brad Brace. I think I need a vacation. >> I did that analysis for an article I wrote about Fluxlist that >> Owen and Ken were going to use. I did hear that it was finally >> going to be published but this was some months ago and I've not >> heard from Owen since so I assume it's not going to happen. > > > Sol (and the rest of the list) - it is still going to happen - it > just all keeps getting pushed back, now it seems that it will be > the end of spring or summer of next year (2005). It will be a > special issue of Visible Language on Fluxus today as an > ongoing artistic form of expression such as that on the fluxlist > (not just the historical stuff). Since the issue has come up here > as a discussion item let me ask you all a question - I am still > looking for a few women artists that see their work > as part of the direct heritage of Fluxus. If you know of anyone or > want to suggest yourself please email me off list at >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Thanks, > > Owen
